Youthful music played and energy was everywhere as people piled into the Auditorium’s Arena Theatre on Saturday to see the MSU Department of Theatre’s presentation of “Been Taken.”
The theme of re-examining individual expectations seemed interesting enough to draw a crowd of all ages. Although the cast has the potential to take audiences to the next level, the content needs more depth.
Shortly into the play a make-out scene between John (theater graduate student Andy Towler) and Margaret (theater graduate student Rachel Roberts) establishes the plot. It is a strong opening, but it doesn’t save the play’s energy from fading thereafter. The shallow nature of its content seemed to lose people’s attention quickly.
The first act needs more details and better dialogue for the actors to successfully bring the audience into the college lives of the characters.
The story revolves around Margaret, who has trouble deciding if John raped her, or if she had sex with him.
Although the play’s issues are important, they seemed to lack focus and meaning as it progressed. Perhaps the purpose was to show there is not always an easy answer to life’s obstacles.
Roberts and Towler did a nice job confusing the audience about Margaret’s encounter. And because of Margaret’s indecisiveness, she tells her then-boyfriend Steve (mechanical engineering senior Steve Rundell) of the incident and claimed John raped her. Steve and John’s confrontation continues throughout the play.
The second half of the play is five years later, when John and Steve have established new lives and careers. At a business meeting they have an encounter, which is a powerful scene.
Towler and Rundell become the life of the play with a good understanding of the characters. The energy they projected grabbed everyone’s attention, demanding the audience to refocus on the play’s conflict.
Although the play’s beginning was raunchy and shallow, “Been Taken” survived with a strong ending. Violence just has a way of getting attention and the fight between John and Steve at the end of the play was the bump they needed to finish in style.
As for Margaret, she disappeared as her accusations about John raping her did. “Been Taken” has the potential to be a good play, but the script needed more work and depth.
“Been Taken” will run 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Auditorium’s Arena Theatre. For ticket information, call (517)355-6690.
